


Taking a Chance

by telescopenights



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Gift Exchange, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Secret Santa, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21884338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telescopenights/pseuds/telescopenights
Summary: Christmas is nearing and as part of Tony's Christmas party, each member of the group has been assigned to be Secret Santa to another person in the group. Bucky got Tony, which he is initially thrilled about but then begins to panic over whether Tony will like his gift. It's meaningful and personal but the main present isn't what he's worried about. He's more worried about the extra present he managed to sneak into Tony's gift.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 108





	Taking a Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first ever fic and would love it if you have any comments to give! Been wanting to write a fic for a while because I think my creative writing kinda sucks lol and i've been meaning to practise so let me know if you have any thoughts on my writing or suggestions regarding the language / plot / pacing etc. Hope you enjoy :)

_tony: don’t forget!!!!! 6pm!!!!!_

_bucky: yeah i got it doll_

_bucky: see ya_

_tony: :D !_

Bucky let himself smile at his screen for a while before putting his phone back into his pocket.

“I’m guessing that’s Tony?” Steve asked, raising his brow at Bucky in the rearview mirror. 

“Yeah……,” he replies, a little zoned out. “God what if he doesn’t like it?”

“Oh my god shut up you’ve asked that question like fifty times in the past week and fifty other times today. Also quit shaking your damn leg,” Sam grumbled.

“I’ll shake my leg if I want to,” Bucky retorted petulantly.

“Hey, y’know if you and Tony don’t work out I think you and Sam would make a great couple,” Steve says innocently, which of course elicits strong objections and fake gagging noises from the both of them. As they pseudo-argued, Bucky couldn’t help but smile at how comfortable and warm their family dynamic was. _Goddamn I’m lucky_ , Bucky thought as his mind moved on from his two friends in the car to their larger circle of friends.

It was nearing Christmas and Tony being Tony had organised a Christmas party. _No strangers_ , he had promised, _just the few of us_. Few of us of course meaning Bucky, Sam and Steve, as well as their other friends, Bruce, Natasha, Clint, Thor, Rhodey, Pepper, and Maria. They were in their senior year of high school and it was nice to have this evening just to themselves considering how they might be flung to different corners of the country or even the globe come July next year. 

Ever the generous host, Tony had insisted on preparing all the food, but left the drinks to the rest of the gang. Bucky wrinkled his nose, thinking of the insanely strong vodka Thor had brought to their New Year’s gathering earlier this year and how it had led to even Steve being drunk beyond his wildest dreams. Anyway, beyond the good food and drinks and family vibes, Bucky was really looking forward to but also dreading the gift exchange. 

Tony had insisted on a proper Secret Santa this year. Typically they each prepared a small gift for everyone in their group of friends but with this year possibly being their last Christmas gathering all together since college might make such a gathering close to impossible next year, he convinced everyone that Secret Santa would be way better. 

_Come on, think about it,_ Tony had argued. _We each get a really heartfelt gift from someone else and can maximise our budgets on just one person too. Anyway cards exist. We can just write super sweet and meaningful cards to everyone else._

And when Tony was nearly shaking with excitement at the idea, eyes wide and bright, no one could really say no. Furthermore, Tony was particularly susceptible to entering a depressive state around Christmas as well, given how his parents had passed in a car accident on the 16th of December a few years back, so it was nice to see Tony’s face really light up when they agreed to doing Secret Santa. Plus it did make sense to channel all their limited student budgets to one person, so Tony collated their names and fed them into a secret santa website that would allocate them their recipient. Hence, the current situation. 

Bucky clutched the large rectangular box sitting in his lap. He, of course, had been assigned to be Tony’s Secret Santa. When he got the name emailed to him, he didn’t know whether to curse the damn website algorithm or thank it. While it had initially excited him to no end to get to go all out with a gift for Tony (Tony _had_ said it should be a _really heartfelt gift_ ), it took him ages to decide on what to get him. What on earth could Tony want? It _had_ to have significance — they’ve been friends for nearly their whole lives, first meeting in Ms Jones’s first grade class where they fought over who got to use the sole red crayon, so Bucky should know Tony inside out like a well-worn shirt by now. Plus, Bucky had an extra present of sorts that he was finally going to give Tony after months of deliberation and he had to get a gift that would let him sneak it in somehow.

Over the past two years or so, Bucky had been nursing the world’s greatest crush on Tony. It started when they had their first sleepover since they were kids. Usually, on the group’s Movie Night Fridays, the gang would gather at Tony’s house and watch a movie together, complete with popcorn, ice cream and cavity-inducing drinks. Afterwards, they would hitch a ride home with Maria or Steve. However, during that particular movie night session, the attendance was lower than usual. Maria had caught the flu bug that was going around school, as did Pepper, Natasha, and Bruce. That left Steve’s car to ferry Bucky, Sam, Clint, Thor, and Rhodey home. Seeing as how Thor nearly took up two back seats in Steve’s car, Bucky offered to take a cab home instead. But of course, as soon as Steve’s packed car set off, it began storming outside with rain thrashing against Tony’s mansion’s windows and flashes of lightning cleaving the sky. 

***

“Just sleepover, it’s gonna be way harder to get a cab to come so far into the estate now that it’s raining,” Tony persuaded.

“You sure? I don’t wanna impose or nothing.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Besides, we haven’t had a sleepover in years! I’m gonna get you something to change into and you can pick the next movie to watch!”

Bucky cracked a smile at that and proceeded to plop back down on the giant beanbag he had colonised earlier that evening. He dropped a quick text to Steve and Sam to let them know of the new arrangement.

_bucky: decided to stay over at tonys cos it’s more convenient. text me when u guys get home_

_sam: steves still driving but we dropped clint & thor off alr _

_sam: steve says have fun_

_sam: we’ll text u later_

Bucky put his phone and wallet back down on the coffee table and began scrolling through Tony’s Netflix. He was still deciding between White Chicks and High School Musical when Tony returned with some surprisingly fitting sweatpants and a loose shirt that had the logo of some robotics convention on it. As Bucky changed, Tony disappeared into the kitchen and came back shortly after with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate.

“Budge over or I’m gonna end up spilling this all over you,” Tony warned before joining Bucky on the beanbag. There were two other beanbags available and the entire couch as well as loveseats and armchairs to choose from but it was nice to share bodily warmth with Tony as they sipped on their hot chocolate while the storm raged on outside. 

Ultimately, Tony ended up picking the movie (White Chicks) and about halfway in, Bucky awoke suddenly to the annoyingly loud buzzing of his phone on the coffee table. _Huh, must’ve fallen asleep._ Noticing that Tony was still sleeping, he lowered the volume of the movie and checked his phone.

_steve: sam & i just got home. everyone else is back safely too _

_steve: hope ur having fun with tony_

_steve: nights_

_sam: night bucky_

_bucky: thanks guys_

_bucky: nights_

Bucky then turned his attention back to the movie. Just then, Tony let out a snort and wriggled closer to Bucky. Reaching out his arm, Bucky wrapped it around Tony’s shoulders which seemed to appease him as he stopped wriggling. But instead of returning to the movie, he couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on Tony’s sleeping form a little longer. 

Dark circles underlined Tony’s eyes and his slightly agape mouth let out little puffs of air. It wasn’t the most photogenic image of Tony by any means but for some reason, Bucky felt a smile creep up the corner of his lips and a strange warm sensation flow outwards from the centre of his chest right down to his finger tips. It kinda hurt but at the same time felt strangely good and Bucky eventually fell asleep on the beanbag too, still facing Tony. It was only the next morning when he was on the train back to his, Sam’s and Steve’s shared apartment, still smiling lightly as he thought of him and Tony making pancakes for breakfast and failing miserably before ordering in Mcdonalds, that Bucky realised he had developed feelings for Tony.

What followed was a lengthy freakout session at home where Steve and Sam had repeatedly tried to assuage him that just because he liked Tony didn’t mean that their entire friend group was going to fall apart. Nor did it mean anything serious.

“You just realised today, quit worrying about it. Maybe it’ll go away in a month or something,” Sam offered.

“Yeah, I agree with Sam,” said Steve, nodding seriously. “It’s a crush for now and you don’t have to act on it just yet. Besides, it could have just been the circumstances or something.”

But with Bucky’s luck, it did not go away. Instead, it festered into something deeper and more meaningful and Bucky wasn’t sure he could still label it a crush. His affection for Tony only grew tenfold since that day and while part of him was guilty for not being honest with Tony, with whom he had shared countless childhood secrets, he still felt that at the very least, he had a great and functional friendship with Tony, and he certainly did not want any feelings ruining that. Anyway, Tony showed no indication of liking Bucky back so it was best not to risk confessing to him.

***

“Bucky baby! You’re finally here!” Tony greeted as he opened the grand front doors of the mansion. 

Hugging Tony with one arm while the other balanced the present, he smiled into Tony’s hair. “Hey doll, merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas!” Tony smiled back at him before moving on to greet Sam and Steve as well while Bucky moved further into the house. It looks like they were the last to arrive. Bruce and Thor were inspecting the varying sizes of gifts that lined the bottom of Tony’s gigantic tree that had been tastefully lit up with flashing lights, silver tinsel and a myriad of crystal baubles. Natasha, Rhodey and Pepper were sitting around living room sipping on hot chocolate while Maria and Clint toggled through the television channels which had begun their Christmas movie marathons. Bucky, Sam and Steve placed their gifts at the base of the tree before joining the rest of the gang in conversation.

Dinner started shortly after and as always, Tony did not disappoint. One by one, the dishes were brought out from the kitchen. Turkey, salmon, salad, roast ham, mashed potatoes, a charcuterie board, and several pies decorated the long table at which the group sat and dinner began as Tony uncorked the champagne Thor had brought and the sound of cheers echoed through the open dining room. As they settled down to eat, Bucky felt a warm sense of gratitude settle in the middle of his chest, thinking of how lucky he was to have found this group of friends. Looking at Tony, the warmth progressed into an ache and he couldn’t help but smile at the bright and contented smile Tony was wearing.

***

After dessert was over (tiramisu; thank you Tony and your Italian heritage), the group relocated to the living room as they pet their full bellies. 

“Okay present time! Let’s see what everyone got,” Tony cheered, clearly buzzing with excitement.

“Damn honey, how do you have so much energy? I feel like I’m eight months pregnant,” Bucky groaned.

“I know...I feel like I’m having twins,” Maria sighed.

“Tony that dinner was amazing, just give us a little time to digest it,” Pepper pleaded.

“Awww but that’s no fun! You guys can thank me by opening the presents! I wanna see what everyone got!” Tony replies, already carrying some of the presents over from the tree to the centre of the living room.

One by one, the gifts were opened. Laughter sounded and _awws_ cooed as each person opened their gift and hugs were exchanged. Bucky received _A Guide to Astronomy in Cities_ from Natasha which was greatly appreciated as he had been eyeing the hardcover for a while. That left Tony as the only person who had yet to receive a gift. 

“Looks like it’s no longer a secret who you got for Secret Santa Bucky babe,” Tony grinned. “Show me what you got.”

Bucky was a little stressed out. He would have preferred to give Tony his gift in the middle of the lineup, with someone else’s gift and reaction to distract from his gift and Tony’s reaction afterwards should the latter go south. Nevertheless, he managed to stick on what he a genuine smile and passed Tony the large rectangular box. 

Immediately, Tony made quick work of Bucky’s wrapping and unveiled the custom made puzzle Bucky gifted him which elicited gasps from everyone. It was a 1000-piece puzzle that when completed, would display the group of them on a school trip earlier this year. Everyone was smiling brightly in the photograph and it really showed off the sense of family that was so strong amongst them. 

“What a meaningful gift you got Tony!” Thor said approvingly.

“It’s really great, Bucky,” Rhodey agreed.

“Yeah man it’s honestly a super good idea,” Clint added.

But Tony still had yet to react. Bucky was getting nervous now. _Oh god did I somehow fuck it up?_ “I, uh, know how much you like putting stuff together and all that. So I, uh, thought you would like putting together a puzzle with, y’know, a little more meaning,” Bucky finishes lamely. 

“Earth to Tony,” Natasha said as she probed Tony who was sitting next to her. “What do you have to say?”

That seemed to snap Tony out of his trance and he looked up from the puzzle to look at everyone with watery eyes. “God you guys _know_ how I love this kind of sappy shit,” he says before laughing wetly and wiping his tears from his eyes. The response makes everyone laugh and get a little teary-eyed as well. Natasha reaches over to give Tony a sideways hug which he gladly accepts before he stands up and walks over to Bucky and throws his arms around Bucky’s neck to give him a forceful hug. “Thank you so so so much, Bucky. I _love_ it.” And with that, the tension in Bucky’s chest gives and he gives a little sigh of relief, knowing that Tony not only _likes_ his gift, but _loves_ it. Wrapping his arms around Tony’s waist, he laughs lightly and replies, “Glad you like it, honey. Merry Christmas.”

***

The merry-making and drinking went on for a while and several bottles of champagne, wine and vodka later, most of the group was drunk and sated with the exception of designated drivers Sam (who was going to drive Steve’s car) and Pepper (who was going to drive Maria’s car). Bucky, who had been extremely relieved with how well the gift exchange had gone a little out of control with the alcohol and was currently napping, or rather, sleeping very soundly on one of the beanbags judging by his gentle snores. 

“How much alcohol did he have?” Tony asks, amused.

“Not a lot I think. Just the champagne at the start of dinner and a glass of wine and a shot of Thor’s vodka,” Clint slurs a little.

“You forgot the drinking competition that you insisted we partake in,” Natasha replied dryly, surprisingly sober for someone who had downed at least seven shots of Thor’s potent vodka.

“Clint if I wake up with the world’s worst headache tomorrow I’m blaming you,” groaned Maria.

“Nonsense! You’ll be fine Maria,” Thor assures. “The vodka is not thaaat strong,” he adds, though the slight garble in Thor’s speech might suggest otherwise.

“Bucky probably had more shots than me, you know how competitive he gets,” Natasha says, replying Tony’s original question.

“And Clint egged Bucky on too,” added Bruce. “He’s got to have at least ten shots inside him.”

A particularly loud snore from Bucky seems to confirm this, much to Tony’s amusement.

“I think that’s our cue to get going boys and girls,” Pepper announces, and begins corralling the guests. Sam moves over to Bucky and tries to shake him awake but to no avail. He even tries dragging him off the beanbag but all Bucky does is groan and fall back asleep. Sam is about to throw Bucky over his shoulder and carry him to the car when Tony stops him, suggesting instead that Bucky could just sleep over.

“It’s no big deal, really,” Tony confirms with Sam at the door. “You guys get home safe!” 

“Thanks, Tony,” Steve says extra earnestly, although he just might have been a little drunk. “G’night Tony. It was a really great party.”

Hugs and kisses are exchanged at the door and everyone sets off for home in Steve and Maria’s cars. 

While Tony busies himself, cleaning up, Bucky continues to snore on the beanbag. Tony had given Jarvis and Ana the holiday season off so all the housekeeping was being done by him. Tiring as it was, it did keep Tony preoccupied for the most part which he didn’t mind. And it certainly made him more appreciative of Jarvis’s efforts which led to an exponential increase in his and Ana’s Christmas bonuses. Not that they weren’t already outrageous but Tony really splurged on their bonuses this year. So much so that he wouldn’t be all too surprised if Jarvis and Ana were to send him a text saying that they were going to retire early. Tony loaded up the dishwasher with the dishes and glasses from the evening’s dinner and brewed himself a cup of coffee before getting to work on wiping the table down. If there was anything the past week of housekeeping had taught him, it was that food stains on the dining table were always harder to clean up the next afternoon which was when he typically woke up.

***

Bucky woke up to the feeling of his phone buzzing against his stomach and the sound of Tony’s phone buzzing against the coffee table. _Talk about deja vu._ The time showed 2:35 AM and he was lying on the beanbag in Tony’s living room, but the lights were still on. Checking his phone, he opened the group chat.

_pepper: got rhodey thor & bruce home. maria & i just reached home too. night everyone _

_pepper: thanks tony for the amazing evening <3 _

A new message from Sam pops up.

_sam: same here. got clint and nat home._

_sam: steve & i r back home _

_sam: night everyone! thanks tony! u r the best host ever :)_

“You’re up! That’s surprising. I thought you were gonna sleep till tomorrow.” Tony’s voice draws Bucky’s attention to the stairs where he was currently walking down while drying his freshly washed hair with a towel.

“Am I sleepin’ over tonight?” Bucky asks, still a little disoriented by his unplanned nap.

“Yeah you were too deep in sleep to be woken up so I told Sam that you could just sleep over tonight.” Tony goes over to the dining table where he left a glass of water and two advils and passes them to Bucky.

“Oh okay. Thanks” Bucky rubs his eyes and accepts the water and tablets, downing them quickly. “I feel a little too awake to sleep now though,” he says with a wry smile.

“Same here, had some coffee before cleaning up. You wanna work on the puzzle together then?”

Tony moves to grab the box but is stopped by Bucky suddenly scrambling over and grabbing his hand. It shocks Tony and Bucky seems slightly disconcerted by his own actions as well and quickly releases Tony’s hand. It is just silence between them for a moment and judging by the twinkle in Tony’s eye and slightly raised brow, Bucky knows he’s waiting for an explanation of sorts. 

_Oh god I really wasn’t expecting to be here when this happened. Okay keep it together man you can do it. Just tell him the truth and be honest. Tony likes honesty and being honest will probably lower your chances of him kicking you out of his house right now._

Taking a deep breath, Bucky gestures to the loveseat they were currently standing by and Tony takes it as a signal to take a seat. Bucky picks up the box and joins Tony on the loveseat. They turn to face each other, sitting cross-legged as Bucky holds the box in his lap. 

“It was really hard choosing a gift for you, Tony. I really wanted to give you something you would love because I’ve known you for so long an’ you’re one of my closest friends an’ I care so much about you an’ I’m so glad you like the puzzle. But that’s not all I gave you.” Bucky opens the box to reveal the 1000 pieces wrapped up in plastic but also an envelope. Tony’s initially amused expression begins to fade as he senses the somber direction this conversation was going.

“Obviously when I wrote it I didn’t see myself sitting next to you here when you opened it but here you go,” Bucky says as he nervously hands Tony the envelope. “I haven’t been all that honest with you an’ that day, when you first suggested we do Secret Santa an’ your eyes were all bright an’ twinkling an’ you looked so happy when we agreed, I decided that I was going to do this because I may very well no longer have this chance when we go to college next year.”

“Read it to me,” Tony barely whispers, staring into Bucky’s blue-grey eyes.

“Tony...”

“Please?”

Bucky takes the envelope back and fumbles with opening it for a while. He unfolds the letter that he remembers took about five drafts on his computer and about an hour to write because he was using his best handwriting. Then, he begins to read. 

“Dear Tony, it has been an honor being your friend all these years. Ever since we fought over the red crayon in Ms Jones’s class I’ve caught myself feeling so grateful that you’re my friend on so many occasions. Like when I’m lost in class and you tutor me after school. Or when I’m freaking out about a game and you keep me grounded and sane. Or on movie night fridays when you cuddle up against me. But the truth is, about two years ago, I realised that at some point along the way that friendship had developed into a crush for me.” Bucky pauses, surveying Tony’s face but his passive expression gives no hints as to how he is feeling inside. He nods slightly and Bucky continues. 

“At first I thought I was just confusing my love for you as a friend for something greater than platonic attraction. But then I realised how it is definitely something more. I always seek you out in a crowded room; you’re always the first one I wanna see an’ the first one I wanna talk to. I hate it when you’re upset cos when you are, I just wanna wrap you up in my arms an’ kiss you until you feel better but I can’t. And I know for sure that I’m in love with you because every time I look at you it hurts right here,” Bucky says as he places his hand over his chest and he looks into Tony’s brown eyes which are welled up with tears. “It hurts an’ it aches but I can’t help it. Tony, I’m in love with you, possibly have been for my whole life without even realising it. When I look back on our friendship I feel that same ache, all the time. An’ I know this is sudden for you but I’m willing to wait for you to think this out cos I know it’s not fair for me to drop this on you too. I just had to let you know, because I don’t know how I’d live with myself if we go to different colleges next year, an’ you meet someone new, an’ fall in love, an’ I would have never told you nothing just because I was scared. Yours always, Bucky.”

Bucky puts down the letter on the coffee table and moves the box and envelope there as well. Tony’s hands are resting in his lap but tears are streaming down his face thick and fast. With uncertain hands, Bucky reaches out to hold them and is comforted by the fact that Tony doesn’t flinch away. They stare into each other’s eyes for what feels like an indefinite amount of time. “Say something, sweetheart, anything.”

Suddenly Tony pulls his hands out of Bucky’s grasp and throws them around his neck instead, burying his face there as well and sobs violently into Bucky’s neck. A little shocked by this turn of events, Bucky reaches his arms to wrap around Tony’s waist and pull him onto his lap. He rubs Tony’s back with one hand and cradles his neck with the other, keeping Tony’s torso flush against his own while Tony’s legs wrap around his waist.

“It’s okay baby, you’re okay.”

“God, I’m so sorry, Bucky,” Tony lets out in between sobs. 

Bucky’s heart sinks. This is the part where Tony rejects him, where he says _no thank you but I’m not into you like that_. Where they break apart from this embrace and move on to the rest of their lives with this awkward situation jutting out sorely in their catalogue of memories together.

“I was so careful to keep it a secret because I didn’t wanna ruin our friendship, but if I had known I would have told you earlier. I love you, I’m so in love with you you have no idea,” Tony finally gets out, holding Bucky’s face in his hands and wiping away the tears Bucky didn’t even know he was shedding. 

“Darling, I’m in love with you too, so very much. I was always scared that if I told you we’d never be friends again. And I didn’t dare to think what if you felt the same way. You’ve always been by my side and yet I can never figure out why.” Bucky opens his mouth to interject but Tony quickly covers his mouth with his hand. “You’re so kind and loving and passionate and you’re hardworking and smart. Even in the subjects you kinda suck at you give your best,” Tony says with a watery laugh. Bucky gives him a shaky smile in return. “And I just figured that I must be doing something right if you were still sticking around. So I wasn’t gonna risk our friendship over a ‘maybe he likes me back’.”

Removing Tony’s hand from his mouth and resting his forehead against Tony’s Bucky gives Tony a tentative and hopeful smile. “God, baby, we should’ve taken the chance.”

“We’re taking it now, aren’t we?”

His smile now widening and eyes crinkling with unadulterated joy and _love_ , Bucky stares into Tony’s eyes and absolutely _melts_ to see Tony gazing at him with the same amount of pure adoration. 

“Yes, my dear. We are.”

With that, Bucky gently shifts his hands to Tony’s face and pulls him closer until their lips press together and _it just feels so right_. And as Bucky kisses Tony over and over again, he feels that familiar ache radiate from deep within his chest. But unlike every other time he has felt this pang, this time, Tony is in his lap and in his arms and in his heart, their bodies pulled so close together they are nearly one. 

***


End file.
